Making the Most of a Teachable Opportunity
When our K-12 market leader Mike Luse began his career, he assumed construction would center on drawings, schedules, and solving technical problems. What he didn’t expect was how much of the work would hinge on people—earning trust, navigating tough conversations, and learning from those who had already walked the path. Over time, he’s come to recognize how fortunate he was to have strong mentors who invested in him. Their influence shaped not only how he leads projects, but how seriously he takes the responsibility of mentoring others.
His instinct to strengthen relationships led to one of his most meaningful contributions this past year. While overseeing multiple projects for Lebanon Schools, Mike frequently met with the Lebanon Fire Chief during code review discussions. Those conversations revealed something important: many fire officials were expected to review and approve highly technical drawings without ever receiving formal training on how to read them.
Rather than treating that gap as “just part of the process,” Mike created a blueprint-reading class tailored to what fire chiefs actually need to know—how drawings are organized, how to find the information relevant to their reviews, and how to navigate large plan sets with confidence. More than 15 fire chiefs attended the first session, and he’s already been asked to do another.
While the class certainly helped the chiefs, Mike says his motivation was just as much about building better relationships and strengthening communication. The more everyone understands each other’s perspective, he says, the smoother the project runs—and the better the final outcome.
That same mindset shows up in his daily work. Mike is steady under pressure, direct when clarity is needed, and always focused on building teams that work well together. He believes technical skill matters, but people—and the connections between them—matter just as much.
In a company built on shared ownership and continuous improvement, Mike’s leadership demonstrates how living our values often begins with something simple: pay attention, step in where you can help, and invest in the relationships that make great work possible.